The first-round bye is nice, but can Peyton beat Brady in the cold in January? In a word, yes. In six words, yes – if they feed C.J. Anderson.

5

Dallas Cowboys

12-4

—

The Cowboys notched their second 12-win season since 1995 and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. That should quiet the Romo critics for at least a week.

6

Pittsburgh Steelers

11-5

▲ 2

With a good defense, a great running game and weapons galore on the outside, Pittsburgh looked like a playoff sleeper. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Le’Veon Bell.

7

Indianapolis Colts

11-5

—

Another 11-5 season and AFC South championship for Andrew Luck. But can he beat elite competition when it matters most?

8

Detroit Lions

11-5

▼ 2

Matthew Stafford is now 0-16 on the road against winning teams. Good luck in the playoffs.

9

Cincinnati Bengals

10-5-1

—

Four seasons, four playoff appearances for Andy Dalton. Now he just needs to win one. So does the franchise in general. We’re closing in on a quarter of a century.

10

Baltimore Ravens

10-6

▲ 3

After last year’s Super Bowl hangover, the Ravens are back in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years. Baltimore doesn’t feel like a serious contender, but who knows? Joe Flacco has gotten hot before.

11

Arizona Cardinals

11-5

▼ 1

With four losses in six games, this team has one-and-done written all over it. Still a heck of a season, though.

12

Carolina Panthers

7-8-1

▲ 7

As bad as the NFC South was, you have to hand it to Carolina. The Panthers won four straight to end the season – this after six straight losses – and host the reeling Cardinals in the payoffs. That’s a pretty nice reward for a sub-.500 team.

13

Philadelphia Eagles

10-6

▼ 1

The Eagles beat 10 teams; seven finished with a losing record.

14

Houston Texans

9-7

—

The Texans fell just short in their playoff bid but set a franchise record with 34 takeaways. J.J. Watt, meanwhile, became the first player in NFL history to record multiple 20-sack seasons. With a transcendent player on that side of the ball, Houston will be in the mix for years to come.

15

Buffalo Bills

9-7

▲ 1

Encouraging season for Buffalo, which finishes with its first winning season in 10 years.

16

Kansas City Chiefs

9-7

▲ 1

The Chiefs almost made the playoffs despite not throwing a touchdown to a receiver all season. If that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is.

17

San Diego Chargers

9-7

▼ 6

The notoriously up-and-down Chargers went 2-4 in their final six games to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

18

San Francisco 49ers

8-8

—

If you’re a 49ers fan, just say thanks for the memories.

19

Miami Dolphins

8-8

▼ 4

Apparently it doesn’t matter where the Dolphins play; they’ve gone 4-4 at home and 4-4 on the road each of the last two seasons.

20

New York Giants

6-10

▲ 1

If you extrapolate Odell Beckham Jr.’s last four games over the course of a full season, you’d have 172 catches for 2,424 yards and 28 touchdowns. That’s how good he’s been.

21

Atlanta Falcons

6-10

▼ 1

It wasn’t just that the Falcons lost to Carolina; it’s how they lost – embarrassed at home, 34-3. Has there been a more un-clutch team in the NFL over the last five years?

22

New Orleans Saints

7-9

▲ 1

The silver lining for the Saints? They went 4-4 on the road. With a few tweaks, especially on defense, this team could easily be back in the Super Bowl mix.

23

Minnesota Vikings

7-9

▲ 2

A rookie quarterback, no Adrian Peterson, injuries – the Vikings have nothing to be ashamed of, especially since they lost four games by three points or fewer.

24

Cleveland Browns

7-9

▼ 2

What began with a magical 7-4 start ended with five straight losses, during which Cleveland averaged 11.4 points. The Browns once again have questions to answer this offseason, starting under center.

25

St. Louis Rams

6-10

▼ 1

This franchise needs to get two things: healthy, and a quarterback.

26

Washington Redskins

4-11

—

Washington is 7-25 (.219) over the last two seasons. At this point, no one is safe – not even RG3. Hell, especially RG3.

27

Chicago Bears

5-11

—

The Bears closed the season with five straight losses and failed to score a touchdown in their final game at Minnesota. If Jay Cutler’s contract isn’t the worst in football, it’s got to be close.

28

New York Jets

4-12

▲ 1

New Yorkers may disagree, but Rex Ryan’s tenure wasn’t a failure. He deserves a lot of blame for what happened, but he did some good things, too. Bottom line? Be careful what you wish for.

29

Oakland Raiders

3-13

▼ 1

A team that was built for 8-8 went winless on the road. Not much else to say.

30

Jacksonville Jaguars

3-13

—

The Jaguars were 3-5 at home and 0-8 on the road. This is a young team that simply needs time to mature.

31

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2-14

—

Remember at the beginning of the season when I said I wasn’t buying the Bucs? Well, they just went 0-8 at home.

32

Tennessee Titans

2-14

—

Oakland and Jacksonville were bad this year; Tennessee was worse. The Titans closed the season with 10 straight losses and have no hope of being competitive in the foreseeable future.